Scientists install water quality sensors off Lahaina to study impacts to ocean

HONOLULU (HawaiiNewsNow) - Many conservation groups across Maui are monitoring the impact of the fires on the island’s oceans.

Over the weekend, teams from UH Manoa and the Pacific Whale Foundation installed water quality sensors in areas around the Lahaina impact zone.

The sensors will look at the presence of contaminants and reef health.

An initial inspection by the USGS in mid-September revealed a thick sludge of ash, debris, and fiberglass within Lahaina Harbor.

The Pacific Whale Foundation has been conducting weekly dives around nearby Mala Wharf, and they say it’s encouraging no sludge has been found in that area.

But it’s too soon to know how that could change in the long term.